Meet your senior Swanton team
Simon Bahaire
Director (Swanton Consulting)
Simon has over 20 years of industry experience, specialising in the design of bespoke concept solutions for temporary works on various schemes worldwide. Simon has extensive experience of design management, construction supervision and project leadership having held roles from Engineer and Technical Manager to his current position as Director.
Simon is currently responsible for coordinating, managing, and leading design teams at Swanton. He plays a pivotal role in ensuring early engagement and delivery services to support external clients and contractor designs.
Zoltan Kolumban
Director (Swanton Consulting)
Zoltan is a Chartered Structural Engineer with 19 years of experience in the design and management of structural projects, specialising in steel structure analysis, enabling works, and connection detailing. As Director at Swanton Consulting, part of the Erith Group, he leads complex construction engineering packages from tender through to completion, with a strong focus on stakeholder coordination, technical delivery, and commercial oversight.
His portfolio includes high-profile projects such as One Sherwood Street, the Peninsula Hotel Development, and Portland House, where he has overseen intricate enabling works, façade retention, and top-down basement construction. Zoltan’s earlier work includes the structural design of stadium roof structures in Romania, demonstrating his versatility across both permanent and temporary works.
In addition to project leadership, Zoltan is actively involved in training, recruitment, and quality process improvement across the business.
Ioannis Vitsios
Technical Director (Swanton Consulting)
Ioannis is a Chartered Structural and Geotechnical Engineer with over 12 years of experience and an MSc in Soil Mechanics. As Technical Director at Swanton Consulting, he leads the design and delivery of complex temporary works schemes, including façade retention systems, basement propping, and retaining wall solutions, with a strong focus on soil stabilisation and foundation design.
He is highly proficient in advanced numerical modelling for deep excavations and ground movement analysis, with expert knowledge of finite element tools such as PLAXIS, MIDAS GTS NX, and OASIS Frew. Ioannis has acted as Contractor’s Responsible Engineer (CRE) on major projects including Paddington Cube and Shoreditch Village, liaising with Network Rail and London Underground.
His portfolio includes high-profile schemes such as 22 Hanover Square, Guilford Ormond Street Hospital, and 120 Fleet Street, where he has led both technical and commercial aspects—from design and construction sequencing to budget management and stakeholder coordination. He has also contributed to industry knowledge through published research on soil-structure interaction and earth pressure behaviour.
Leonardo Brizzi
Technical Director (Swanton Consulting)
Leonardo is a Chartered Structural Engineer with 11 years of industry experience, including seven years in the UK specialising in temporary works and four years in Italy focused on structural design and seismic assessment. As Technical Director at Swanton Consulting, he leads the design and coordination of complex temporary works schemes, including façade and party wall retention, demolition support systems, tower crane bases, and top-down logistics slabs.
Leonardo has delivered key projects such as Holborn Viaduct, 120 Fleet Street, Panther House, and Stonecutter, where he has overseen the full lifecycle of temporary works—from design and sequencing to technical approvals and commercial management. His responsibilities have included liaison with public authorities such as the City of London, Camden Council, Transport for London, and Network Rail, where he has acted as CRE for temporary works.
He brings strong technical expertise in finite element analysis, with advanced proficiency in software such as Midas GEN and RFEM. Leonardo is experienced in conceptual design, tender-stage budgeting, programme planning, and the development of bespoke engineering solutions for complex construction challenges. His background also includes seismic damage assessment and structural supervision in Italy, further strengthening his multidisciplinary approach.
Karsten Richter
Principal Engineer (Swanton Consulting)
Karsten is a Principal Engineer with over 25 years of multidisciplinary experience in civil, structural, and geotechnical engineering. He holds a PhD in Geotechnics and an MSc in Structural Engineering, and has worked across consultancy, contracting, and regulatory sectors in the UK and internationally. At Swanton Consulting, he specialises in the design of temporary works for deep excavations, underpinning, and structural stabilisation, with a strong focus on complex urban redevelopment and heritage projects.
Karsten’s portfolio includes major schemes such as 33 King William Street, the Post Building on New Oxford Street, and the Whiteleys Redevelopment, where he has led foundation design, façade retention, and CAT3 checks for tower crane bases and demolition stability. His expertise extends to foundation design for inland waterway and offshore structures, and he has worked with clients including Network Rail, Crossrail, LUL, and the Highways Agency.
He is also experienced in expert witness reporting for construction defects and structural damage, and has contributed to landmark restoration projects across Europe, including the Munich Marstall, Budapest HVB-Bank, and Frankfurt Main Rail Station. Karsten’s early career included academic research and lecturing in geotechnics, and he continues to apply rigorous analytical methods and international standards in his engineering practice.
Jonny Buckley
Principal Engineer (Swanton Consulting)
Jonny is a Geotechnical and Temporary Works Engineer with 8 years of combined practical and design experience across the UK and New Zealand ground engineering sectors. As Principal Engineer at Swanton Consulting, he specialises in the geotechnical and structural design of deep foundations and embedded retaining walls, with a strong focus on schemes that impact neighbouring or underlying assets.
His expertise includes advanced numerical modelling using PLAXIS 3D, with a portfolio of high-profile projects including Paddington Square, Wells House, and Elgin. Jonny has led the design and validation of complex excavation sequences, secant piled shafts, and bespoke temporary works solutions such as suspended gantries and tower crane bases. He has also delivered CAT3 checks for critical infrastructure, including basement slabs over Thames Water sewers, and has worked closely with Network Rail and London Underground to secure third-party approvals.
Jonny’s work is grounded in rigorous geotechnical analysis, including ground movement assessments, damage category evaluations, and real-time monitoring verification. His approach combines technical precision with practical constructability, ensuring safe and efficient delivery of temporary works in highly constrained urban environments.
Lance Weideman
Principal Engineer (Swanton Consulting)
Lance is a professionally registered Structural Engineer with 13 years of experience across both permanent and temporary works. He spent a decade in South Africa delivering large-scale commercial, industrial, civil, and educational developments valued up to £6 billion, and the past three years in the UK specialising in temporary works design for projects up to £30 million.
At Swanton Consulting, Lance leads the design and coordination of complex temporary works schemes, including basement and façade retention, propping systems, working platforms, crane foundations, needling works, and demolition sequencing. His recent UK projects include Canada Water Printworks, Tribeca, Roots in the Sky, and 40 Broadway, where he has overseen demolition strategies, structural assessments, and the design of enabling works for major developments.
Lance brings extensive experience in the design and analysis of concrete, steel, timber, and masonry structures, with a strong background in multidisciplinary coordination, construction supervision, and project management. His international portfolio includes landmark projects such as the Future Africa Research Institute Campus, Menlyn Maine Precinct, Kusile Power Station, and the University of Pretoria’s Boukunde Building.
He is a member of both the Institution of Civil Engineers (UK) and the South African Institution of Civil Engineering, and holds dual degrees in Structural and Civil Engineering. Lance combines technical expertise with commercial oversight, ensuring safe, efficient, and cost-effective delivery across all phases of design and construction.
Pearse McMahon
Principal Technician (Swanton Consulting)
Pearse is a Principal Technician with extensive experience in 3D BIM modelling, structural detailing, and digital construction workflows. Since joining Swanton Consulting in 2015, he has led the production of 3D models using Tekla Structures and 2D drawings for engineering and architectural approval, working closely with clients, architects, engineers, and contractors.
He has played a key role in developing Swanton’s BIM and CAD standards, delivering internal training on 3D laser scanning, and producing 4D sequencing imagery and photorealistic renders for client engagement. Pearse’s technical expertise spans façade and basement retention schemes, 3D laser scanning, and project visualisation for complex demolition and remediation works across major projects such as Hanover Square, Whiteleys, Olympia Central, Holborn Viaduct, and 120 Fleet Street.
Prior to joining Swanton, Pearse held senior draughting and quality management roles in the manufacturing and construction sectors, where he was instrumental in achieving EN 1090 certification and implementing factory production control systems. He has also contributed to the advancement of BIM in the Irish construction industry through his involvement with the Construction Information Technology Alliance (CITA), providing steel detailing for integrated BIM models.